Many, if not most, aquatic science projects are done with the goal of informing management and policy to protect, conserve, and wisely use aquatic resources. However, the transfer of research results into policy and management decisions remains a challenge. Some projects use the “catapult” approach: packaging up all the results at the end of the project and flinging them across institutional barriers to the desired end users. Others try a “ferry” approach, publishing results as the project progresses and scheduling meetings periodically between the scientists and the end users, providing discrete times for exchange of information. Still others attempt a “bridge” that fosters a more dynamic and continuous exchange of results and information, actively seeking real-time feedback from end users. This session requests presentations that discuss how aquatic science results have (or have not) made it to policy and management end users. Presentations should focus on strategies and techniques that have been used to facilitate the use of research results rather than on minute details of the research itself. It is hoped that the presentations will be able to identify some lessons learned, best practices or guidelines for enhancing the transfer of research results into actionable information.

This session is designed to provide a venue for undergraduate and beginning graduate students to give their first platform presentations at an ASLO meeting. It is hosted by the ASLO Multicultural Program, but open to all students who have never presented in an oral session at ASLO. The session is moderated by students and conducted in such a way as to provide a friendly and encouraging atmosphere.

SS11: Research Experiences of Undergraduates in Aquatic Sciences — See Schedule

Conveners:Russell Cuhel, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Center for Great Lakes Studies, rcuhel@uwm.edu; Carmen Aguilar, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Center for Great Lakes Studies, aguilar@uwm.edu

Increasingly complex, large-scale studies of aquatic ecosystems require broadly-trained yet disciplinarily-expert scientists for the 21st Century. A variety of laboratory research opportunities, from grant-supported undergraduate assistants to programmatic offerings such as the NSF-OCE Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Sites offer a valuable introduction to research activities and lifestyles. Distributed among a wide variety of aquatic research institutions, REU Sites in particular provide diverse project and informational experiences. This session specifically offers ANY undergraduates an opportunity to present their research findings in a collegial but lower-stress poster session amid the showcase of full-spectrum aquatic science presentations. Engaged in one of the premier aquatic science meetings of the year, networking and personal interaction facilitate recruitment of top candidates into the career path progression. Research experiences play very important roles in coalescence of a student's classroom learning with real world practice. This poster session showcases project results of mostly upper-division undergraduates working in aquatic science laboratories. All disciplines and many interdisciplinary topics are represented. The presentations provide a fine opportunity for scientists to establish interactions with potential graduate students or employees in a professional setting. The session has grown to be one of the largest single sessions, well attended by actively recruiting scientists.

SS29: Opportunities and Challenges of Teaching Introductory Oceanography to Undergraduates — See Schedule

This session will focus on the challenges and opportunities of teaching introductory oceanography at both 2-and 4-year colleges to a diversity of students. We look for submissions
that focus on effective ways to increase student learning of oceanographic concepts, ways in
which student learning is assessed, examples of how real-time data is included in the classroom,
the challenges and novel approaches for teaching oceanography at the introductory undergraduate level.

More than 23 million people live within 50 miles of the 600 mile coastline of Long Island Sound, and its value to the local economy is estimated at $9 billion per year. Though the subject of research and restoration efforts for many years, 2012 marks the publication of a major synthesis volume on the science and management of Long Island Sound, largely through the efforts of the Long Island Sound Study (the EPA National Estuary Program) and affiliated university and government researchers. This session will address recent major research findings, their management implications, and outreach efforts to bring this information to the public. Presentations comparing Long Island Sound with other urban estuaries are also invited.

SS53: Sensor Networks in Aquatic Systems: Research and Education — See Schedule

High variability in watershed, river, and coastal ocean properties over short time scales and small spatial scales requires continuous and fine-scale observational capabilities to understand processes and evaluate long-term trends. Recent advances in sensors, sensor networks, data visualization, modeling, and prediction have greatly increased our awareness, understanding, and use of such data. This session invites papers that demonstrate the application of sensors and sensor networks in aquatic systems as well as papers using this data for education and outreach.

SS54: Carbon Fluxes at the Land-Ocean Interface: Research and Education — See Schedule

Carbon fluxes at the land-ocean interface are significant, variable, and changing over time. Nearshore coastal regions are both highly productive and highly reactive regions that play a critical role in the global carbon cycle. Tides, seasons, and episodic events all have a large impact on the variability of organic and inorganic carbon fluxes between the land, ocean, and atmosphere in coastal regions. In addition, land use changes, climate change, and direct anthropogenic inputs are all altering carbon fluxes over time in these critical areas. This session invites papers exploring the measurement, modeling, or prediction of carbon fluxes in coastal areas as well as papers describing education and outreach efforts regarding carbon fluxes in coastal zones.

SS69: Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification Standard (CMECS): A Common Language for Science and Management — See Schedule

We invite oral and poster presentations that describe research, management, or regulatory activities that have utilized or plan to utilize NOAA’s Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification Standard (CMECS). There is an increasing demand for marine environmental characterizations to support ecosystem-based management, marine spatial planning activities, monitoring/assessment studies, and basic scientific research. CMECS offers a standard terminology for biotic and abiotic marine ecosystem components and an ecological framework by which to describe and study linkages in marine systems. Presentation topics of particular interest include those that address the strengths and weaknesses of this standard and how it may be best applied in practice, links to other classification systems, applications to specific management or regulatory activities, species-environment relationships (including humans and human use), marine habitat mapping/modeling, marine protected areas, habitat assessments, the biotope concept and characterization of biotopes. We aim to attract an interdisciplinary group of presenters from fields including marine ecology/biology, marine geology, oceanography, marine management/policy, and representatives from federal/state regulatory agencies.

In recent decades, Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) have expanded geographically, increased in duration and intensity, and resulted in escalated economic costs worldwide. HABs are a major threat to coastal economies because they negatively affect human and ecosystem health, coastal water quality, fisheries and recreation. As scientists continue to unravel the unique drivers and controls of blooms, research programs must be integrated with environmental management, education, and outreach efforts to develop strategies that protect public and resource health. In the last decade, there have been many examples of beneficial interactions between researchers, environmental agencies, industries and the public. For example, collaborations between researchers, aquaculture industries, coastal managers and citizen groups have been particularly successful in protecting public health from HABs while also promoting economic growth. It is promising that such cross-disciplinary collaborations continue to grow, yielding creative solutions to the challenges that HABs create. In this session, we invite presentations of case studies that highlight new or existing collaborations between research and non-research groups that hold a stake in HAB research, including scientists, regulatory agencies, public health groups, decision-makers, private stakeholders, and the public. This forum will provide an environment to foster such synergistic strategies.

SS85: Extreme Aquatic Ecosystems and Their Astrobiological Relevance – A Session in Honor of Robert Wharton Jr. — See Schedule

Presentations are solicited on research in the areas of lakes, wetlands and rivers in extreme environments and/or evidence for aquatic environments elsewhere in the solar system, present or past. This session will honor Robert Wharton Jr. and his scientific interests. Dr. Wharton was one of the pioneers in investigating the astrobiological relevance of extreme aquatic environments. He and Dr. Chris McKay of NASA Ames were the first to look at the McMurdo Dry Valley lakes as analogs for lakes on Mars in the past. Dr. Wharton was also the founding lead investigator of the McMurdo Dry Valleys LTER site. Dr. Wharton was an active member of the ASLO community, including hosting the1995 annual meeting in Reno Nevada. He passed away in September 2012